Rules for a Proper Doctor Who story
Feb. 5th, 2009 09:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethI have been thinking of rules that describe, if not every single Doctor Who story in every format, at least all the ones I think are Proper.
... I am mostly doing this because I'm trying to read more about the Renaissance. I have a really helpful brain I do.
So:
1. The Doctor makes a difference.
If the story would have worked out the same without him, same actions and same emotions and same people making same choices, what's he doing there anyway?
2. The Doctor always saves someone.
It might just be one family at Pompei, or one survivor of Nyssa's planet, but he always saves someone.
3. The Doctor's Companions are more help than the locals.
This is usually by being the connection between the Doctor and the locals. He do need translating sometimes. And he does slip on the social dynamics quite a lot.
4. The Doctor's Companions are trouble magnets and generators.
They might not get in more trouble than the locals - those tend to die a lot, Companions mostly don't. But they not only get in trouble often, they pull the Doctor into trouble too. This is part of the balancing act of nigh-omniscience, and I'm thinking especially of 7 here. The Doctor can give the impression of thinking he's got it all under control, but some random element will get all the way out of control and set off the dominos unexpectedly, and that element is usually his fellow time travellers.
5. When the Doctor is there, things will basically be alright.
Or to put it another way, if you're going to have a graveyard massacre, it's scariest because the Doctor isn't there. When he's around there's hope and possibilities. When he isn't... see 'Turn Left'. His companions can do a lot, but the little extra that makes it a happy ending or saves the whole day is what the Doctor provides.
6. The Doctor and his companion spend part of the time split up.
This is because when the Doctor is there he can say 'don't touch that' or interrupt when they're about to give the secret code away or generally keep things under control. See points 5 and 4. There has to be splitting up, because then there's Going Horribly Wrong.
7. The Doctor and his companion spend at least part of the time together.
It's in the job description really.
8. The Doctor is in it.
Yes I know there's been lots of good stories where he wasn't in it very much. They're interesting too. But still.
agree? disagree? think I've missed something really important?
... I am mostly doing this because I'm trying to read more about the Renaissance. I have a really helpful brain I do.
So:
1. The Doctor makes a difference.
If the story would have worked out the same without him, same actions and same emotions and same people making same choices, what's he doing there anyway?
2. The Doctor always saves someone.
It might just be one family at Pompei, or one survivor of Nyssa's planet, but he always saves someone.
3. The Doctor's Companions are more help than the locals.
This is usually by being the connection between the Doctor and the locals. He do need translating sometimes. And he does slip on the social dynamics quite a lot.
4. The Doctor's Companions are trouble magnets and generators.
They might not get in more trouble than the locals - those tend to die a lot, Companions mostly don't. But they not only get in trouble often, they pull the Doctor into trouble too. This is part of the balancing act of nigh-omniscience, and I'm thinking especially of 7 here. The Doctor can give the impression of thinking he's got it all under control, but some random element will get all the way out of control and set off the dominos unexpectedly, and that element is usually his fellow time travellers.
5. When the Doctor is there, things will basically be alright.
Or to put it another way, if you're going to have a graveyard massacre, it's scariest because the Doctor isn't there. When he's around there's hope and possibilities. When he isn't... see 'Turn Left'. His companions can do a lot, but the little extra that makes it a happy ending or saves the whole day is what the Doctor provides.
6. The Doctor and his companion spend part of the time split up.
This is because when the Doctor is there he can say 'don't touch that' or interrupt when they're about to give the secret code away or generally keep things under control. See points 5 and 4. There has to be splitting up, because then there's Going Horribly Wrong.
7. The Doctor and his companion spend at least part of the time together.
It's in the job description really.
8. The Doctor is in it.
Yes I know there's been lots of good stories where he wasn't in it very much. They're interesting too. But still.
agree? disagree? think I've missed something really important?